Static-electricity-grounding device



v F. C. SINGLETON STATIC ELECTRICITY GROUNDING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1924 Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK O. SINGLETON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD OIL COMPANY,

, OF WRITING, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

STATIC-ELECTRICITY-GROUNDING DEVICE.

Application filed March 27, 1924. Serial No. 702,297.

To all 'whom-z'tmcy concern:

Be it known that I, FRAN -G. SrNcLn'roN,

' a citizen of the United State, residing at specification.

v My invention relates to an improvement in the class ofdevices used forv grounding static electricity generated in bodies, such as vehicles, bedsteads, and printin presses which are electrically insulated rom the ground by and the l1ke, to prevent undesirable effects on the occupants or other objects in such bodies, from the electricity.

I have more immediately devised my device for protecting rubber-tired truck-tanks used for transporting volatile inflammable liquids against hazard from static electric sparks, while being filled through pipe-lines from storage-tanks, whereby static electricity is generated, presumably-by friction of the liquid in coursing throu h the pipelines, and is liable to cause explosion in the truck-tanks.

My device for the aforesaid purpose is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which-- Fi ure 1 is a plan view of the separably attac able handle-equipped head of the device through which the flexible grounding wire, shown broken away, extends from the metal attaching clip on its advance-end;

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged broken and partly sectional view showing the head illustrated in the preceding figures in electrical contact-engagement with the companion-member on the object to be protected;

Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of the aforesaid companion-member; and

Figure 5 is a broken and partly sectional view' in elevation representing the two members coupled together in operative position.

At A is represented a portion of the shell of an ordinary truck-tank, such as is in common use for transporting volatile inflammable liquids, such as gasoline, to filling stations, and will be understood to be carried on rubber-tired wheels and thus electrically insulated from the ground.

rubber tires, insulating casters,

hard rubber.

A metal contact-ball 6 having a neck 7 extending from a base 8 and forming one of the two .members of my grounding device, is permanently secured, as by riveting through its base, to the shell A to project therefrom in desirably accessible position.

The other member comprises a head '9, shown of general rectangular shape and preferably formed entire of insulating material, such as wood, with a tubular wooden handle 9 extending from one end and a resilient metal clip 10 secured to extend from its opposite end, the clip-j aws being provided with series of perforations 10 near. their advanceedges, forming pairs, the opposite members of which should aline' with each other. A binding-post 11 projects centrally from the base of the metal clip into a socket 12 in the adJacent end of the head 9, from which socket a bore 13 extends through the head and the handle toa socket 14 formed in the end of the latter and in which are confined. the end-coils of a helical wire-shieldin spring 15 havin the coils of its outer en confined about t e stem of a hollow tip 16, preferably of insulating material, such 'as An insulated conductingwire 17 extends from the binding-post 11 through the bore 13 to a desired length beyond the handle 9, for attachment, as at a binding-post 11 to an electricity-grounding medium 18, which may be the pipe-line through which the tank A is to 'be filled from a storage-tank (not shown), a post, or other suitable grounding medium.

The clip and conductor-carrying head remain constantly in position for use, as indicated in Fig. 5, whereby when a tank wagon provided with a contact-ball 6 is in place to be filled from the storage, it will be the duty of the person attending to the filling operation, before starting it, to apply the clip 10 to the ball 6 to grip the latter between the resilient clip-jaws and into engagement with any of two opposite perforations 10 in the series thereof. This engagement insures tip 16 serves to protect the insulation a ainst inju from sha bends, and the li e, in hand 'ng the hea -member 9.

By observing the precaution of applying the clip on the member 9 to the ball 6 on any truck-tank A pie aratory to fillin it in the manner descri e m device wil reliably ound any static e ectricity or static electric charge tending to accumulate in the tank A; or serve to equalize difi'erence in static tential which might otherwise tend to bu' d up'between the tank, while undergoing filling, and the fill-pipe, whereby such static charge, or difference of potential will not become great enough to. cause a spark to jum between the truck-tank-and fill-pipe to pro ace the hazardous condition referred to.

,I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction herein 20 shown and described, and I do not intend to limit my invention thereto except as pointed out in the appended claim, in which it is my ntention to claim all the novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible by the state of the art.

I claim A static electricity grounding device com- V prising, in combination, a contact-ball adaptball when the same is engaged by any one of said pairs of perforations, whereby said parts may be caused to engage at any one of said pairs of jaw perforations without pre determined alinement, and a conductor connected to said clip.

FRANK G. SINGLETON. 

